"You're late." I say, as Jackson walks into the office.
"I'm aware, you don't need to remind me, Jaida."
I roll my eyes. "You know, I actually do. Don't you remember that bet you decided to do with me?"
"Which one? We have many." We walk over to his small desk, which just so happens to be next to mine.
"The one with my friend? You bet that she would ask you out, one of the conditions was that I get to rub it in your face if you're late to work. I did win, because she didn't ask you out."
He sighs. "You really are a pain, you know that?"
I lean in close to his ear, and whisper. "At least I don't make bets that I know I won't win." I smile and plop into my chair. "What video did you get to turn into a report today?"
He gives me a hard look. "I get to watch an Officer die today. What about you?"
"Hostage situation, it's a few hours long. But to be honest, I don't see why we even have to do this for them, why can't they do this themselves?"
"Really? We do this because the Officers only need to go through this shit once, when they make a report, they relive it. We save that for our professional therapists."
"Do we even get any benefits?"
"Yeah, we get paid."
"No shit! We also have to keep the things we see confidential. Why can't we talk about it? It's not like it's gonna happen again."
"Were you ever told about the last person who decided to spill the beans?"
"No."
He places his face into his palm. "I'm guessing you weren't at the last meeting were you?"
I shake my head. "I got sick remember? I couldn't go."
"Oh, yeah. Well, basically, Mandy decided to tell her significant other about her work, he was a Journalist. And you know how they are."
"They are all a-holes. They'll do just about anything to get a good scoop."
Jackson nods. "Yep, and guess what happened to Mandy?"
I think for a second. "Anything other than getting fired?"
"She got her memories wiped and now she won't be telling anyone, anything."
"Note to self: Don't fuck up."
He chuckles, to himself. "That's a good note to have. You got any plans this weekend?"
I shake my head. "Nope, I never do." I get my headphones ready and turn the video on.
I let the video start, but I find myself staring at him as he types with a quickness.
He notices me staring, and takes off his headset. "What's up?"
I shake my head. "Nothing, i'm fine."
He raises an eyebrow, but goes back to his work.
I shake my head again and force myself to concentrate on my reports.
After what feels like forever, he decides to sneak off behind me. He watches me for a second and then quickly grabs my shoulders.
Startled, I scream, throw my headphones off, and collapse onto the floor breathing heavily. "What the fuck was that for?" I yell .
He collapses to the floor in laughter. "You should've seen your face!"
I give him an evil stare. Then, I get back into my chair, and wheel over his fingers.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"That, my dear Jackson, is for scarring me. The rest of what you get, will come later."
He gets up and holds his hand.
As I watch him walk back over to his desk, I can't help but laugh.
He sits down. "Want to go for a drink tonight? My treat."
I blush and think for a moment. "I don't know, it is a tempting offer."
He sighs, he knows i'm messing with him. "I'll let you think about it, but I suggest you tell me soon."
"Don't worry, I'll go with you to the bar."
"Thank you. How far are you in your assignment?"
"About halfway. I need a break. Want to go for lunch?"
"Sure." I get up and stretch.
Heading down to the employee lounge/cafeteria, we scope out the vending machines for anything decent.
"You would think they would at least put some decent food in these things, by the end of the month i'll be twenty pounds heavier."
"Yeah, I know how that feels." Personally I have been trying to loose some weight because this crap.
"You know, things get really boring around here sometimes."
"I agree." I reply. "We need something fun to do around here. It wouldn't kill them to add something new."
Suddenly the red emergency lights and the sirens start blaring.
"How ironic is that?"
Jackson shrugs and we grab our things and head to the underground bunker.
I sit down on the floor and bite into a granola bar. "This better be the real deal, I hate the drills they put us through. They're annoying."
Jackson sighs. "If it is, we are gonna be here for a long while."
Everyone around us engages in small talk, but in whispers. Who knows what could be going on right now. Is it a burglary? Shooting? I clear my head of those thoughts and remind myself that it's only a drill.
"Jaida Kalysta, personal protocol initiated."
I groan.
Jackson raises an eyebrow. "Personal Protocol?"
"We each got that when we started working here."
"I know, I didn't think that they would announce it like that."
"Then why did you ask? Either way, I have to go, if I don't come back, dinner is on you."
"How would that work?"
I think for a moment. "Never thought it through." I leave the underground bunker, and head to the roof of the building.
So far I have been waiting here for almost an hour, I think. I have no idea, all I know is that it's hot, I need a shower and I wanna go home.
As if summoned by my thoughts, a helicopter comes in and lands on the nearby helipad.
I watch it land, and someone comes out of it.
They walk towards me and it turns out to be a young woman with some body guards that clearly came from Men in Black.
She looks me up and down. "You must be Jaida, yes?"
I nod. "Yes, and who are you? If I may ask."
"Oh, yes, how rude of me. I'm Misaki Asuka. I'm your official boss."
My jaw drops to the floor. "That's you?"
She nods. "Yes, please forgive my rudeness, but we must be going."
She grabs my arm and drags me to the Helicopter.
"Where are we going?" I attempt to yell over the rotor. It doesn't work, she can't hear me.
We get settled into the Helicopter, and I am handed a headset.
"Where are we going?"
"I can't tell you."
"Can you tell why I am here?"
She shakes her head. "I can't tell you that either."
"What can you tell me?" I ask in frustration.
'Just that you are never going to see your friends again. And that dinner date you planned? Is canceled, forever."
My heart twinges in pain as her words sink in, I am never going to see him again and tell him how I feel. "I'm sorry if what I say next bothers you, but that's bull shit." It takes all my energy to not break down and cry in this situation.
She rolls her eyes. "You'll be fine, don't worry."
I try to focus my attention on the city below, as an attempt to take my mind off things. What I didn't realize was that I was slowly falling asleep.
We land and I jolt awake.
"Sleep well?" Misaki asks.
I stretch. "How did I fall asleep in a moving helicopter?"
She says nothing and gets out of the helicopter, waiting for me to follow.
I follow after her. "Can you tell me why I'm here now?"
"You have been recruited." She takes, off her headset.
"For what?" I take mine off as well.
"It's Top Secret."
I raise an eyebrow. "Of course it is, why wouldn't it be?"
"You are going to become an Assassin."
"Excuse me? Like in the movie?"
"What movie?"
"Assassin's Creed."
"I guess?"
"Oh, shit."
We head inside the random rooftop of a building that I am not familiar with. The training is most likely hell, but it's a definite step up, from a desk job.
"I have a quick question." I ask.
"What is it?"
"How is this related to my work place?"
"They never tell you anything."
"No, it's a need to know basis."
"They run you through simulations of different possibilities. With those simulations, it teaches you what to and not to do. But the rest of the training will make more sense."
"The rest?"
"Have you noticed the strange camera angles? Those are not Police Officers recording."
"So basically, you need more Camera People."
"I guess you could call it that."
I am thrown into the training course, exercises, and mental challenges. I know that it's been a few years since they bought me here, but waiting for the day that I can find Jackson and see him again, is what keeps me going.
The training continues for a few more years, but time I can't tell. They make take these tests, I guess you could call them, but they are designed to at away at my emotions, without having to go inside my brain.
I'm in the control center when Misaki pops out of nowhere.
"Jaida!" Misaki comes towards me and holds out a paper envelope. "Here."
"What is this?"
"You're first mission."
"Got it, I'll head out immediately."
"Good Luck."
"I won't need it." I leave the building and head out. I am supposed to dispose of a corrupt cop, seems easy enough. Those who break their vow, must pay the price.
I head to an abandoned warehouse a few miles away from the city of Vale. Sitting on top of a steel beam, at the highest point, I watch and wait.
They come in after a few hours. I look through the file again to see who my target is. As it turns out The target is a simple Officer, but for some reason he looks familiar.
They stand outside their cars and talk.
I grab my bow and place an arrow into it. I use my advanced sight and find him, predicting his movements. I'll have to incapacitate the others that are here, but that will be easy. I get my tranquilizer darts ready to use, double checking my dart gun.
One thing that Misaki mention right before I left, is that I can't show my face, if I do, I will be compromised and put everyone in danger.
The other car pops open the trunk, and I look over and there appears to be, at least ten or fifteen pounds of what looks like Cocaine. How in Hell did they smuggle that much into the country?
I wait for the perfect moment, and then I fire my arrow into the Officers back. He lays down onto the hard dirty floor. I drop down and tranquilize everyone else.
I move all the other bodies to the furthest side of the warehouse. Then I move to my target. He struggles to get up, but I know he won't be able to, all of my arrows are laced with a poison that will paralyze you temporarily. I rip out the arrow from his back, and flip him over.
I turn my voice filter on, and speak to him. "You swore to protect this city, and it's people. But you have failed. For that, you must pay with your life."
"Wait, Jaida? Is that you?"
I look into his eyes, and see the same eyes I used to stare into. Surprised, I turn my filter off.
"What are doing here?"
"I've been sent to kill you, now let me do my job."
"I still owe you dinner remember?"
"Don't make this harder than it already is, I'll try to make it painless. Since you were my friend."
He tries to fight me but the Paralysis is still in effect.
"I can't waste to much time with you, I have to take care of the others." I take out my knife, and push it into the base of his skull, destroying his brain. "I'm sorry, Jackson, but the Jaida you knew, is dead."
I turn around and kill the others, but this time, I slice all their throats open.
I call headquarters, and tell them that the job is done. But, I didn't realize that there was another person in the car. He comes out and fires his pistol at me. It hits my left eye, I collapse onto the ground and act like I am dead. When he gets closer I easily kill him with me knife.
"I need a ride now, and be sure to prep an O.R. for me too."
They get here quickly and I am in and out, I have been placed in my room. I believe that I am no longer in any serious trouble, but my days as an assassin are over.
"Hey." Misaki comes in. "I have an idea for you."
"And that is?"
"You can lead the future assassins of this place. You know this better than me. But, you will have to change your identity."
"That's fine, what's my new name?"
"Naira. You will have a new look as well."
"Got it." I guess, this is where I start new. And no one, will know who I truly am.
"Madelyn, Lynn! Hurry up, you got training to do today!" I say into the intercom in their room.
"We are already here." Madelyn says behind me.
I turn around. "Good, because you have a new mission today."